Tips

[telectrix]

Just a thought. How about a thread covering hints and tips, nothing too technical, just if any members have useful tips or know of gadgets that save time and money ( without cutting corners, of course ) let's have 'em

 

[Phil]

a pencil in the tool box, might sound stupid but plenty forget them also a chalk line the quid shop sell a half decent one now

 

[Crosswire]

"good strong magnet and compass for lining up through walls etc"

Elaborate please, I'm intrigued!

 

[Colin Integrale]

Cross line laser and a spotter laser are invaluble for setting out.

Definitely.. Love my cross line laser box.

 

[Crosswire]

Seeing as no-one mentioned it - wire clothes hanger for fishing in walls .

 

[Phil]

"good strong magnet and compass for lining up through walls etc"

Elaborate please, I'm intrigued!

a mate of mine gave me the idea (waveydave) he would be upset if i took all the credit for it, we were on a job where the walls and floors were all over the place, you know one of those where the bit does not come through quite where you expect it too a lot of the nightclubs are like it raised floors all over at different levels. basicly if you have a good magnet on one side and then go to the other with a compass it goes mental when it goes near the magnet. saved me a load of messing on a few jobs since.

 

[Phil]

never take it from anyone else that the circuit is dead even the boss always check it yourself

 

[Phil]

label the wires or mark them in some way

 

[SirKit Breaker]

a mate of mine gave me the idea (waveydave) he would be upset if i took all the credit for it, we were on a job where the walls and floors were all over the place, you know one of those where the bit does not come through quite where you expect it too a lot of the nightclubs are like it raised floors all over at different levels. basicly if you have a good magnet on one side and then go to the other with a compass it goes mental when it goes near the magnet. saved me a load of messing on a few jobs since.

I like that, i have a bad habit of drilling in the wrong places. Trip to the magnet shop is in order.

 

[Crosswire]

a mate of mine gave me the idea (waveydave) he would be upset if i took all the credit for it, we were on a job where the walls and floors were all over the place, you know one of those where the bit does not come through quite where you expect it too a lot of the nightclubs are like it raised floors all over at different levels. basicly if you have a good magnet on one side and then go to the other with a compass it goes mental when it goes near the magnet. saved me a load of messing on a few jobs since.

Move over Edward de Bono, you're title has been usurped!
In other words, nice tip

 

[Gravid]

Keep the odd off cut of 6mm T + E, the inner insulation makes great cable marker for 1mm or 1.5mm and the cpc makes good fish wire once tightened up with a drill.

 

[telectrix]

never tried the compass only to find the nearest pub. have to give it a try next time i'm not sure where to shove my tool in

 

[Adam W]

label the wires or mark them in some way

Definately label them. It's easy enough to write on t&e with a ballpoint pen, otherwise some insulation tape and be careful it doesn't come off as it goes through conduit.
I've not worked on many large jobs where the same person does the second fix as the first, and there is so much variation in people's systems of nicks in cables (1 for feed, 2 for strapper, 3 for sw etc) that they may as well not have bothered.

 

[Jon Bridges]

If you work on your own the Mega Cable rod set is the best £100 you will spend. No longer go through tape like I used to with the super grip, the light for the end is genius, the extra bendy one is awesome and on wednesday used the magnetic end with the chain end and managed to go from a hole in one joist to a hole in the next (couldnt get the board up as a door had been put on top). A real time saver and made my £100 back many times over.

 

[telectrix]

Re: How to cut meter tails.

use the cable shears you can buy from the wholesaler about 10 - 12 quid. secret is to form bend before you cut or you will get unequal strand lengths

 

[Sintra]

To find were to mark an SWA for glanding on a cable that needs to sweep into a DB and is cipped in place. Tape a length 1.5 or 2.5 onto the SWA and use this to form the required bend into the DB. Cut this at the correct length then straighten out along the SWA giving you the position of the gland for terminating.
Can also be used on other non flexible cable types.